Michael Finewax

Olympic Preview

2010 Olympic Hockey Preview

For those of you who are currently undergoing hockey withdrawal, do not fret as the Olympic hockey tournament starts on Tuesday. Whether you are in an Olympic fantasy hockey pool or not, this column is a must read.

There are seven teams that have a legitimate shot at winning gold and Rotoworld will provide up-to-the-minute coverage of all games, even the Germany-Belarus game.

You cannot get better coverage than here at Rotoworld. We have previewed all players in the tournament including the entire Norwegian, Latvian and Belarusian teams.

To learn more about all NHL players, just click on their name. We have provided information on all European hockey players so if you are watching the United States playing Switzerland, you will have some information on the entire Switzerland roster.

One interesting fact. The Toronto Maple Leafs management team of coach Ron Wilson and GM Brian Burke, are in charge of the United States team, while the Detroit Red Wings management team of Vice-President Steve Yzerman and coach Mike Babcock are responsible for the Canadian team.

You will have something on all 276 players in the tournament.

Enjoy.

BELARUS

Belarus comes into the Olympics as a decided underdog as they are rated ninth in the IIHL rankings. They pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history when they defeated Sweden 4-3 in the 2002 quarter-finals, finishing fourth overall after losing all three games in the preliminary round.

Belarus has drawn most of its players for the Kontinental Hockey League. They should know each other well as eight players come from Dynamo Minsk and four from Shakhter Soligorsk, Dynamo Minsk's farm team.

Konstantin Koltsov was a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 Entry Draft, going 18th overall. He played 144 games in the NHL, but the speedy winger never made a dent, even though he played with Mario Lemieux on occasion.

Who you may not know:

Oleg Antonenko: The 38-year-old is the veteran of the team and was rewarded by being named the flag bearer for Belarus. He was dealt this season from Yekaterinburg Automobilist to Dynamo Minsk. The left winger has 11 goals and 18 points in 34 games this season. He played for Belarus in the 2002 Olympics.

Sergei Demagin: Currently in his second year in the KHL, the 23-year-old Demagin was traded earlier in the season from Dynamo Minsk (so he has some familiarity to a lot of his teammates) to Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik where he has scored 16 goals and 27 points this season. The six foot, 187 pound forward was never drafted by an NHL team.

Alexei Kalyuzhny: The Belarusians go into the Olympics with a veteran roster and the 32-year-old Kalyuzhny is no exception. He has played the last two seasons with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL and has 11 goals and 29 points in 53 games this season. The center played on the 2002 Olympic team, scoring once.

Alexander Kulakov: Although 26 years of age, this is only Kulakov's second season in the KHL. He is not a scorer as his five goals and 11 points in 40 games will attest to. He is also a member of Dynamo Minsk.

Andrei Mikhalev: Mikhalev actually played for Chicoutimi of the QMJHL in the 1996-97 season, but only garnered one assist in six games. The 31-year-old currently plays for Dynamo Minsk and has eight goals and 14 points in 53 games.

Andrei Stas: The 21-year-old undrafted Stas is in his second season with Dynamo Minsk. He has five goals and 11 points this season.

Alexei Ugarov: Ugarov is a five foot, ten inch, 176 pound forward for Balashikha of the KHL. He should be one of the top snipers for Belarus as he currently has 17 goals and 23 points this season.

Sergei Zadelenov: Another veteran, the 33-year-old will be a bottom-six forward for Belarus as he has only scored four goals and five points this season in 38 games with Dynamo Minsk.

Andrei Antonov: The 24-year-old rearguard is in his second season with Shakhter Soligorsk. Belarus named four of its eight defensemen from Shakhter Soligorsk, so they likely will match up as two of the defensive pairings. He has a goal and five assists in 22 games this season.

Andrei Bashko: Great name for a tough defenseman, but we do not think he is. There is not much known about the defenseman as even his place of birth is unknown at this time, but the 27-year-old did manage to play six games with Dynamo Minsk this season.

Vladimir Denisov: Denisov returned to Russia after a couple of seasons in North America. He played 66 games with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL in 2007-08, scoring twice and adding six assists to go with 111 penalty minutes. He then played for the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL in 2008-09, scoring five times and getting 20 points in 62 games with 117 minutes in penalties. He could line up with Salei as a defense pairing and should play on the power play.

Viktor Kostyuchenok: Currently in his second year in the KHL, Kostyuchenok was dealt from Amur Khabarovsk to Moscow Spartak earlier in the season. He has ten assists in 50 KHL games this season.

Nikolai Stasenko: The 22-year-old is in his first season in the KHL. He has five assists with Amur Khabarovsk and will likely team up on the blueline with Viktor Kostyuchenok for Belarus at the Olympics.

Vadim Sushko: Playing in the KHL minors with Shakhter Soligorsk, Sushko played eight games with Dynamo Minsk last season with no points. He is 23.

Alexander Syrei: The six foot, two inch, 203 pound Syrei is playing for Shakhter Soligorsk in the Belarusian Extraliga. Not much is known about the native of Grodno.

Vitali Koval: The backup to Andrei Mezin with Dynamo Minsk, Koval is 7-10-2 this season with a 2.61 GAA and a .903 save percentage. If he sees the net at the Olympics, it will be in a blowout.

Maxim Malyutin: The 21-year-old netminder is playing in the Belarusian Extraliga. He is definitely their third goalie in the tournament.

Andrei Mezin: This is Mezin's third trip to the Olympics as he played in 1998 and 2002. He had one of the most memorable games as he stoned the Swedes in the 2002 quarter-finals, beating them 4-3 as he stopped 44 shots. He will have to play as well as he did then if the Belarusians are to advance to the quarter-finals.

Late notes: The Belarusians dropped Sushko, Syrei, Bashko, Antonov and Andrei Kostitsyn due to injuries. They were replaced by Andrei Karev, Alexander Makritsky, Alexander Ryadinsky, Konstanin Zakharov and Dmitri Meleshko.

Andrei Karev: The 25-year-old defenseman has played the last three seasons with HC Minks of the Belarusian League. He had three goals and five assists in 49 games last season.

Alexander Makritsky: Makritsky has spent all of his career in Russia and Germany. The 38-year-old defenseman has spent the last two seasons with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. The veteran is not a scoring threat at all as he has only two assists in 12 games this season.

Alexander Ryadinsky:The 32-year-old defenseman has only played 10 games on the blueline for Dynamo Minsk this season with one assist.

Konstantin Zakharov: Zakharov was a third round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2003 Entry Draft. The 24-year-old center spent one year in the QMJHL with Moncton, scoring 33 times and then spent a couple of seasons in the AHL with Worcester and Peoria before going back to Europe in 2007. He has only played four games this season in the KHL with no points.

Dmitri Meleshko: The 27-year-old forward has shown some offensive flair this season with 10 goals and 20 points in 49 games this season.

Schedule:

Finland - Feb. 17Sweden - Feb. 19Germany - Feb. 20

The big game for Belarus will be the Germany game on the 20th. Win and they have a shot at being one of the two third place finishers to get into the quarter-finals. Lose, and they will be done. Sweden will not overlook them this time.

CANADA

After finishing a disappointing seventh place in the 2006 Winter Olympics, Team Canada enters the 2010 games as a favorite to win the gold on home ice. Although teams like Russia can match Canada in terms of raw power upfront, no team is more well-rounded. Every player on Canada's Olympic roster is a star at the NHL level, and Canada may have enough depth to field a second competitive Olympic team with those left off the list if the rules would allow it.

Roster:

Who you know:

There's a good chance you're familiar with every player on Canada's roster, but the superstars that even the most casual fans should be aware of are defensemen Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, and Dan Boyle.

Patrice Bergeron: Perhaps the biggest surprise selection on Canada's roster was Boston's Bergeron. After scoring 22 goals and 70 points in 77 games in 2006-07, his career was derailed when he suffered a major concussion in October 2007. He was not the same player when he returned in 2007-08 and missed another 15 games when he sustained another concussion in January 2008. He seemed to put that all behind him through the first three months of the 2009-10 season, with 11 goals and 30 points in 39 games. However, he missed two weeks in January due to a broken thumb and he only now seems to be shaking off the rust.

Drew Doughty: Okay, so if you're in a fantasy hockey league, you obviously know who Doughty is, but at the age of 20, he is the youngest player on Canada's roster. Selected with the 2nd overall pick in the 2008 entry draft, Doughty had a solid rookie season with six goals and 27 points in 81 games in his rookie season. Rather than fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump, Doughty has exploded this season with 11 goals and 44 points in 60 games.

Schedule:

Norway - Feb. 16Switzerland - Feb. 18United States - Feb. 21

Team Canada shouldn't have much trouble with Norway or Switzerland, but the United States will serve as their first major test. Although the United States aren't typically viewed as one of the top teams in this tournament, Canada can't dismiss their neighbors to the south. The two teams always play fiercely against each other on the international level and February 21st game should be no exception.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic comes into the Vancouver Olympics with a lineup that includes 16 NHL players and three others who have played in the NHL including Hall-of-Famer to be, Jaromir Jagr. Jagr was the flag bearer for the Czech Republic at the opening ceremonies.

The Czechs won the bronze medal at the Torino Games in 2006, but come into Vancouver as a second tier team, behind powerhouses in Canada, Russia and Sweden.

The Czechs could surprise, especially if Tomas Vokoun is able to play as well as he is capable of.

Roman Cervenka: Cervenka is having his best season in the Czech League with 30 goals and 71 points this season in 48 games. The 24-year-old was never drafted by the NHL.

Tomas Rolinek: Rolinek turns 30 at the beginning of the hockey tournament. This is his second year in the KHL after a lengthy career in the Czech League. The five foot, nine inch, 172 pound forward was never drafted by the NHL. He has 19 goals and 32 points for Magnitogorsk Metallurg this season.

Miroslav Blatak: A fourth round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2001 Entry Draft, Blatak never came over to North America to try and play in the NHL. The 27-year-old now plays for Salavat Yulayev Ufa of the KHL, where he has five goals and 17 points this season. The six foot, 174 pound defenseman has also played in the Czech League and the Swedish Elite League during his career.

Jakub Stepanek: The 23-year-old netminder will be the third goalie in Vancouver. He was never drafted by the NHL. Stepanek plays for Vitkovice of the Czech League. He was spectacular in the Czech playoffs last season as he had a 1.85 GAA and a .944 save percentage in 10 games.

Schedule:

Slovakia - Feb. 17Latvia - Feb. 19Russia - Feb. 21

The Czechs will find out right away how good their team is as they play neighboring Slovakia. A win should guarantee them a spot in the quarter-finals, as Latvia should be a fairly easy win. They face the Russians in their last game of the preliminaries and they are in tough there. Should the Czechs lose to Slovakia, they could still get in the back door as two third place teams will make the quarter-finals.

FINLAND

The Finnish Olympic team will bring 18 NHL players to the forefront, while four will be representing the KHL and one will hail from the Swedish Elite League.

The Finns shocked the hockey world with a surprising second place finish in Turin. They have also medaled in four of the past six Winter Games with two silvers and two bronze.

However, Finland is considered to be among the second tier level for hockey teams for Vancouver, behind the powerhouses of Canada, Russia and Sweden. They will be considered long shots to medal again in 2010.

Some of their other representatives were playing NHL hockey as early as last season like defensemen Lasse Kukkonen and Janne Niskala as well as winger Ville Peltonen who was the flag bearer for Finland. Niko Kapanen skated with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007-08 before joining the KHL.

Who you may not know:

Jarkko Immonen: Immonen was taken in the eighth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2002 entry draft. He last appeared in the NHL for the New York Rangers in 2006-07. Immonen currently plays in the KHL with Kazan Ak-Bars where he has tallied 37 points over 53 games.

Schedule

Belarus - Feb. 17Germany - Feb. 19Sweden - Feb. 21

The Finns are not a team to take lightly as their goaltenders are strong enough to carry them through any rough patches and quite possibly steal games. They can also open the tournament strong with games against weaker opponents in Belarus and Germany. Finland's true test will come on Feb. 21 when they play against rival country Sweden in a gold medal rematch from 2006.

OLYMPIC PREVIEW

By:Michael Finewax, Liam Casey, Ryan Dadoun and Corey Abbott

For those of you who are currently undergoing hockey withdrawal, do not fret as the Olympic hockey tournament starts on Tuesday. Whether you are in an Olympic fantasy hockey pool or not, this column is a must read.

There are seven teams that have a legitimate shot at winning gold and Rotoworld will provide up-to-the-minute coverage of all games, even the Germany-Belarus game.

You cannot get better coverage than here at Rotoworld. We have previewed all players in the tournament including the entire Norwegian, Latvian and Belarusian teams.

To learn more about all NHL players, just click on their name. We have provided information on all European hockey players so if you are watching the United States playing Switzerland, you will have some information on the entire Switzerland roster.

One interesting fact. The Toronto Maple Leafs management team of coach Ron Wilson and GM Brian Burke, are in charge of the United States team, while the Detroit Red Wings management team of Vice-President Steve Yzerman and coach Mike Babcock are responsible for the Canadian team.

You will have something on all 276 players in the tournament.

Enjoy.

BELARUS

Belarus comes into the Olympics as a decided underdog as they are rated ninth in the IIHL rankings. They pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history when they defeated Sweden 4-3 in the 2002 quarter-finals, finishing fourth overall after losing all three games in the preliminary round.

Belarus has drawn most of its players for the Kontinental Hockey League. They should know each other well as eight players come from Dynamo Minsk and four from Shakhter Soligorsk, Dynamo Minsk's farm team.

Konstantin Koltsov was a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 Entry Draft, going 18th overall. He played 144 games in the NHL, but the speedy winger never made a dent, even though he played with Mario Lemieux on occasion.

Who you may not know:

Oleg Antonenko: The 38-year-old is the veteran of the team and was rewarded by being named the flag bearer for Belarus. He was dealt this season from Yekaterinburg Automobilist to Dynamo Minsk. The left winger has 11 goals and 18 points in 34 games this season. He played for Belarus in the 2002 Olympics.

Sergei Demagin: Currently in his second year in the KHL, the 23-year-old Demagin was traded earlier in the season from Dynamo Minsk (so he has some familiarity to a lot of his teammates) to Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik where he has scored 16 goals and 27 points this season. The six foot, 187 pound forward was never drafted by an NHL team.

Alexei Kalyuzhny: The Belarusians go into the Olympics with a veteran roster and the 32-year-old Kalyuzhny is no exception. He has played the last two seasons with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL and has 11 goals and 29 points in 53 games this season. The center played on the 2002 Olympic team, scoring once.

Alexander Kulakov: Although 26 years of age, this is only Kulakov's second season in the KHL. He is not a scorer as his five goals and 11 points in 40 games will attest to. He is also a member of Dynamo Minsk.

Andrei Mikhalev: Mikhalev actually played for Chicoutimi of the QMJHL in the 1996-97 season, but only garnered one assist in six games. The 31-year-old currently plays for Dynamo Minsk and has eight goals and 14 points in 53 games.

Andrei Stas: The 21-year-old undrafted Stas is in his second season with Dynamo Minsk. He has five goals and 11 points this season.

Alexei Ugarov: Ugarov is a five foot, ten inch, 176 pound forward for Balashikha of the KHL. He should be one of the top snipers for Belarus as he currently has 17 goals and 23 points this season.

Sergei Zadelenov: Another veteran, the 33-year-old will be a bottom-six forward for Belarus as he has only scored four goals and five points this season in 38 games with Dynamo Minsk.

Andrei Antonov: The 24-year-old rearguard is in his second season with Shakhter Soligorsk. Belarus named four of its eight defensemen from Shakhter Soligorsk, so they likely will match up as two of the defensive pairings. He has a goal and five assists in 22 games this season.

Andrei Bashko: Great name for a tough defenseman, but we do not think he is. There is not much known about the defenseman as even his place of birth is unknown at this time, but the 27-year-old did manage to play six games with Dynamo Minsk this season.

Vladimir Denisov: Denisov returned to Russia after a couple of seasons in North America. He played 66 games with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL in 2007-08, scoring twice and adding six assists to go with 111 penalty minutes. He then played for the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL in 2008-09, scoring five times and getting 20 points in 62 games with 117 minutes in penalties. He could line up with Salei as a defense pairing and should play on the power play.

Viktor Kostyuchenok: Currently in his second year in the KHL, Kostyuchenok was dealt from Amur Khabarovsk to Moscow Spartak earlier in the season. He has ten assists in 50 KHL games this season.

Nikolai Stasenko: The 22-year-old is in his first season in the KHL. He has five assists with Amur Khabarovsk and will likely team up on the blueline with Viktor Kostyuchenok for Belarus at the Olympics.

Vadim Sushko: Playing in the KHL minors with Shakhter Soligorsk, Sushko played eight games with Dynamo Minsk last season with no points. He is 23.

Alexander Syrei: The six foot, two inch, 203 pound Syrei is playing for Shakhter Soligorsk in the Belarusian Extraliga. Not much is known about the native of Grodno.

Vitali Koval: The backup to Andrei Mezin with Dynamo Minsk, Koval is 7-10-2 this season with a 2.61 GAA and a .903 save percentage. If he sees the net at the Olympics, it will be in a blowout.

Maxim Malyutin: The 21-year-old netminder is playing in the Belarusian Extraliga. He is definitely their third goalie in the tournament.

Andrei Mezin: This is Mezin's third trip to the Olympics as he played in 1998 and 2002. He had one of the most memorable games as he stoned the Swedes in the 2002 quarter-finals, beating them 4-3 as he stopped 44 shots. He will have to play as well as he did then if the Belarusians are to advance to the quarter-finals.

Late notes: The Belarusians dropped Sushko, Syrei, Bashko, Antonov and Andrei Kostitsyn due to injuries. They were replaced by Andrei Karev, Alexander Makritsky, Alexander Ryadinsky, Konstanin Zakharov and Dmitri Meleshko.

Andrei Karev: The 25-year-old defenseman has played the last three seasons with HC Minks of the Belarusian League. He had three goals and five assists in 49 games last season.

Alexander Makritsky: Makritsky has spent all of his career in Russia and Germany. The 38-year-old defenseman has spent the last two seasons with Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. The veteran is not a scoring threat at all as he has only two assists in 12 games this season.

Alexander Ryadinsky:The 32-year-old defenseman has only played 10 games on the blueline for Dynamo Minsk this season with one assist.

Konstantin Zakharov: Zakharov was a third round pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2003 Entry Draft. The 24-year-old center spent one year in the QMJHL with Moncton, scoring 33 times and then spent a couple of seasons in the AHL with Worcester and Peoria before going back to Europe in 2007. He has only played four games this season in the KHL with no points.

Dmitri Meleshko: The 27-year-old forward has shown some offensive flair this season with 10 goals and 20 points in 49 games this season.

Schedule:

Finland - Feb. 17Sweden - Feb. 19Germany - Feb. 20

The big game for Belarus will be the Germany game on the 20th. Win and they have a shot at being one of the two third place finishers to get into the quarter-finals. Lose, and they will be done. Sweden will not overlook them this time.

CANADA

After finishing a disappointing seventh place in the 2006 Winter Olympics, Team Canada enters the 2010 games as a favorite to win the gold on home ice. Although teams like Russia can match Canada in terms of raw power upfront, no team is more well-rounded. Every player on Canada's Olympic roster is a star at the NHL level, and Canada may have enough depth to field a second competitive Olympic team with those left off the list if the rules would allow it.

Roster:

Who you know:

There's a good chance you're familiar with every player on Canada's roster, but the superstars that even the most casual fans should be aware of are defensemen Chris Pronger, Scott Niedermayer, and Dan Boyle.

Patrice Bergeron: Perhaps the biggest surprise selection on Canada's roster was Boston's Bergeron. After scoring 22 goals and 70 points in 77 games in 2006-07, his career was derailed when he suffered a major concussion in October 2007. He was not the same player when he returned in 2007-08 and missed another 15 games when he sustained another concussion in January 2008. He seemed to put that all behind him through the first three months of the 2009-10 season, with 11 goals and 30 points in 39 games. However, he missed two weeks in January due to a broken thumb and he only now seems to be shaking off the rust.

Drew Doughty: Okay, so if you're in a fantasy hockey league, you obviously know who Doughty is, but at the age of 20, he is the youngest player on Canada's roster. Selected with the 2nd overall pick in the 2008 entry draft, Doughty had a solid rookie season with six goals and 27 points in 81 games in his rookie season. Rather than fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump, Doughty has exploded this season with 11 goals and 44 points in 60 games.

Schedule:

Norway - Feb. 16Switzerland - Feb. 18United States - Feb. 21

Team Canada shouldn't have much trouble with Norway or Switzerland, but the United States will serve as their first major test. Although the United States aren't typically viewed as one of the top teams in this tournament, Canada can't dismiss their neighbors to the south. The two teams always play fiercely against each other on the international level and February 21st game should be no exception.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czech Republic comes into the Vancouver Olympics with a lineup that includes 16 NHL players and three others who have played in the NHL including Hall-of-Famer to be, Jaromir Jagr. Jagr was the flag bearer for the Czech Republic at the opening ceremonies.

The Czechs won the bronze medal at the Torino Games in 2006, but come into Vancouver as a second tier team, behind powerhouses in Canada, Russia and Sweden.

The Czechs could surprise, especially if Tomas Vokoun is able to play as well as he is capable of.

Roman Cervenka: Cervenka is having his best season in the Czech League with 30 goals and 71 points this season in 48 games. The 24-year-old was never drafted by the NHL.

Tomas Rolinek: Rolinek turns 30 at the beginning of the hockey tournament. This is his second year in the KHL after a lengthy career in the Czech League. The five foot, nine inch, 172 pound forward was never drafted by the NHL. He has 19 goals and 32 points for Magnitogorsk Metallurg this season.

Miroslav Blatak: A fourth round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2001 Entry Draft, Blatak never came over to North America to try and play in the NHL. The 27-year-old now plays for Salavat Yulayev Ufa of the KHL, where he has five goals and 17 points this season. The six foot, 174 pound defenseman has also played in the Czech League and the Swedish Elite League during his career.

Jakub Stepanek: The 23-year-old netminder will be the third goalie in Vancouver. He was never drafted by the NHL. Stepanek plays for Vitkovice of the Czech League. He was spectacular in the Czech playoffs last season as he had a 1.85 GAA and a .944 save percentage in 10 games.

Schedule:

Slovakia - Feb. 17Latvia - Feb. 19Russia - Feb. 21

The Czechs will find out right away how good their team is as they play neighboring Slovakia. A win should guarantee them a spot in the quarter-finals, as Latvia should be a fairly easy win. They face the Russians in their last game of the preliminaries and they are in tough there. Should the Czechs lose to Slovakia, they could still get in the back door as two third place teams will make the quarter-finals.

FINLAND

The Finnish Olympic team will bring 18 NHL players to the forefront, while four will be representing the KHL and one will hail from the Swedish Elite League.

The Finns shocked the hockey world with a surprising second place finish in Turin. They have also medaled in four of the past six Winter Games with two silvers and two bronze.

However, Finland is considered to be among the second tier level for hockey teams for Vancouver, behind the powerhouses of Canada, Russia and Sweden. They will be considered long shots to medal again in 2010.

Some of their other representatives were playing NHL hockey as early as last season like defensemen Lasse Kukkonen and Janne Niskala as well as winger Ville Peltonen who was the flag bearer for Finland. Niko Kapanen skated with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007-08 before joining the KHL.

Who you may not know:

Jarkko Immonen: Immonen was taken in the eighth round by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2002 entry draft. He last appeared in the NHL for the New York Rangers in 2006-07. Immonen currently plays in the KHL with Kazan Ak-Bars where he has tallied 37 points over 53 games.

Schedule

Belarus - Feb. 17Germany - Feb. 19Sweden - Feb. 21

The Finns are not a team to take lightly as their goaltenders are strong enough to carry them through any rough patches and quite possibly steal games. They can also open the tournament strong with games against weaker opponents in Belarus and Germany. Finland's true test will come on Feb. 21 when they play against rival country Sweden in a gold medal rematch from 2006.

GERMANY

Germany will not challenge for a medal, but they have shown a Rocky-like tenacity to remain in games against the big boys in competitions past and could cause an upset if they are taken too lightly. They have seven NHLers on the roster, but their highest-profile players are Boston's Marco Sturm and Nasvhville's Marcel Goc.

Dennis Endras: Endras plays for the Augsburger Panthers of the German Elite League where he owns a 3.31 GAA and .904 save percentage.

Dimitri Patzold: Patzold was drafted by the Sharks with the 107th selection in the 2001 entry draft. He spent years in the minors, but only saw 44 minutes of NHL time with the Sharks in 2007. He currently plays with Ingolstadt ERC of the German Elite League where he has a 3.23 GAA and .900 save percentage.

Michael Bakos: Bakos is a veteran of the German League, having played there since 1996. He is a defensive defenseman with one goal and six points in 40 games with Ingolstdt ERC this season.

Jakub Ficenec: Ficenec is another veteran defenseman of the German Elite League, like Bakos, but is more of an offensive defenseman with four goals and 22 points with Ingolstadt ERC this season.

Jason Holland: Holland is a Canadian with 81 NHL games on his resume with Buffalo and Los Angeles. After years in the North American minor league system, Holland relocated to Germany where he has one goal and 12 points in 47 games with DEG Metro Stars.

Korbinian Holzer: Holzer is a 22-year-old defender that was drafted with the 111th pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2006 entry draft. He has six goals and 20 points in 45 games with the DEG Metro Stars.

Chris Schmidt: Schimdt is another transplanted Canadian. He played four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL before beginning his minor professional odyssey. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings with the 111th pick in 1994. He never made it the NHL, but now has one goal and five points in 45 games with the Mannheim Eagles of the German Elite League.

Alexander Barta: Barta is a five foot ten inch, 158 pound forward with the Hamburg Freezers of the German elite league where he has nine goals and 28 points in 34 games this season. He was never drafted by an NHL team.

Sven Felski: Felski has played with the Berlin Ice Polar Bears since 1994. The 35-year-old is still productive with 11 goals and 33 points in 43 games in the German elite league this season.

Thomas Greilinger: Greilinger is tied for the league in points in the German elite league with 31 goals and 61 points in 46 games played with Ingolstadt ERC. He was never drafted by an NHL team.

Manuel Klinge: Klinge is a five foot ten inch, forward that graduated from Germany's second tier to the Elite League two seasons ago. He has 16 goals and 30 points with the Kassel Huskies this season. He was never drafted by an NHL team.

Marcel Muller: The 21-year-old Muller has 20 goals and 47 points in 45 games with Kolner Haie of the German Elite League.

Travis James Mulock: Mulock is another transplanted Canadian. He played with the Vancouver Giants, Regina Pats and Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League before finding a spot in Germany. He has 17 goals and 38 points in 40 games with the Berlin Polar Bears of the German Elite League.

Andre Rankel: Rankel is a veteran of the German elite league with the Berline Polar Bears. He has 20 goals and 35 points in 45 games this year.

John Tripp: Tripp is a native of Kingston, Ontario who grew up playing in the Ontario Hockey League with the Oshawa Generals. He was actually drafted twice into the NHL. He went 77th overall to Colorado in 1995, but went unsigned and returned to the draft two years later, where he was taken with the 42nd pick by the Flames. He played 43 games in the NHL with Los Angeles and the Rangers before moving to Europe. He has 14 goals and 28 points in 44 games with the Hamburg Freezers of the German Elite League.

Michael Wolf: Wolf is among the league leaders in the German Elite League with 24 goals and 48 points in 44 games with the Iserlohn Roosters. He has spent his entire career in Germany and was never drafted by an NHL team.

Schedule:

Sweden - Feb. 17Finland - Feb. 19Belarus - Feb. 20

The Germans are unlikely to win their first two games again Sweden and Finland, so the February 20th game against Belarus should determine whether or not they are one of two third place teams to move on.

LATVIA

The Latvian roster will feature two NHL defensemen and two AHL forwards after placing 12th of 12 teams in 2006.

They are not expected to finish much better in the Men's Olympic hockey tournament in Vancouver as they drew into a powerful pool that will put them against Russia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Roster

Who you know:

Dallas defender Karlis Skrastins and Flyers' rearguard Oskars Bartulis are the team's sole professionals. Skrastins is a veteran of 737 NHL contests and he will try to bring to stability to their back end, while Bartulis has appeared in 45 games for Philadelphia in his first year in the big leagues.

Lightning forward Martins Karsums is also on the roster. He has spent the entire year in Norfolk of the AHL this season.

Who you may not know:

Kaspars Daugavins: Ottawa Senators' prospect Daugavins has skated in one game this year, but he has spent the majority of 2009-10 in the minors. The 21-year-old has amassed 14 goals and 32 points in 47 contests with Binghamton.

Janis Sprukts: The 28-year-old center was selected 234th overall in the 2000 draft by Florida, but he has appeared in just 14 games for the Panthers which took place in 2006-07 and 2008-09. Sprukts currently plays in the KHL with Riga Dynamo where he has potted nine goals and 22 assists in 50 games. He is expected to be a key contributor to Latvia's offensive attack in the Olympics.

Lauris Darzins: Darzins has 27 points in 51 contests while playing for Riga Dynamo in the KHL as well. He was a ninth round pick by the Nashville Predators in 2003. Darzins is yet to crack into the NHL, but his potential for offense will be counted on by Team Latvia.

Herbert Vasiljevs: Vasiljevs is projected to be one of the leaders on Team Latvia. He has skated in 51 NHL games over his career with stops in Florida, Atlanta and Vancouver, but he has not been in the league since the 2001-02 season. The 33-year-old winger has spent the past six years in Germany, which has included five straight years with the Krefeld Penguins. Vasiljevs has accounted for 47 points in 43 contests this campaign.

Girts Ankipans: The 34-year-old forward has played in Belarus, Latvia and Germany before playing for Dynamo Riga the last two seasons in the KHL. He had seven goals and 14 points last season for Riga.

Armands Berzins: Berzins was drafted in the fifth round by Minnesota in the 2002 Entry Draft. He spent two seasons with Shawinigan of the QMJHL and two seasons in the ECHL before returning to Europe in 2006-07. He has two goals and four points in 22 games this season with Dynamo Riga of the KHL.

Martins Cipulis: The 29-year-old Cipulis has played all over Europe in his long career. He had nine goals and 21 points for Dynamo Riga of the KHL last season. He was also named the best forward in the Latvian League in the 2003-04 season.

Gints Mejia: Mejia is a 22-year-old forward who has two goals and three points over the last two seasons with Riga. Needless to say, he is not a top-six forward.

Aleksandrs Nizivijs: A member of the National team since 1999, the 33-year-old veteran had nine goals and 26 points for Dynamo Riga last season.

Lauris Darzins: Darzins was a ninth round pick in the 2002 Entry Draft by Nashville. He played a couple of seasons with Kelowna of the WHL, scoring 19 times and 34 points in his first season with seven goals and 14 points in 24 playoff games in 2005. He came back to Europe after his stint in junior hockey. He currently has 11 goals and 27 points for Dynamo Riga in the KHL.

Mikelis Redlihs: Redlihs has played the last two seasons with Dynamo Riga of the KHL. The 25-year-old has 16 goals and 28 points this season.

Aleksejs Sirokovs: A member of the Latvian National team since 2002, Sirokovs is currently playing for Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL. He has seven goals and 15 points in 45 games this season.

Guntis Galvins: The 24-year-old defenseman has a bit of a scoring touch with seven goals and 17 points for Dynamo Riga this season.

Rodrigo Lavins: Lavins was never drafted by an NHL team. The veteran defenseman has a goal and seven points this season.

Georgijs Pujacs: Pujacs was actually drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 1999 Entry Draft, albeit in the ninth round, 264th overall. He played in the United League in 2004-05 with Elmira, before returning to Europe. The defenseman currently has a goal and 12 points with Sibir Nobosibirsk of the KHL.

Krisjanis Redlihs: Redlihs is the brother of Mikelis. Redlihs was drafted in the fifth round by New Jersey in the 2002 Entry Draft and spent four seasons with the Albany River Rats without getting a sniff of NHL action. Redlihs returned to Europe for the 2006-07 season and has spent the last two years with Dynamo Riga, scoring twice with seven assists this season.

Arvid Rekis: Rekis is in his second season with the Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams of the German League. The defenseman played four seasons with the Erie Otters of the OHL from 1996-2000 and also stayed in North America, playing in the ECHL and AHL until 2003. He was never drafted by an NHL team and has been playing in Germany ever since.

Kristaps Sotnieks: The 23-year-old defenseman has one goal and two assists in 91 KHL games. Do not expect much in the way of scoring in the Olympic Games.

Ervins Mustukovs: The Latvians are taking all three of their goaltenders from Dynamo Riga. Mustukovs played with Drummondville of the QMJHL in 2003-04 and stayed for a couple of seasons playing in the ECHL and SPHL before returning home. He will be the Latvians third goalkeeper.

Edgars Masalskis: The 29-year-old netminder will play for the Latvians as he is 16-12-5 this season with a 2.84 GAA and a .910 save percentage in the KHL.

Sergejs Naumovs: The 39-year-old netminder has been a member of the Latvian national team since 1993. He does not play much anymore so expect to see him mostly on the bench.

Schedule

Russia - Feb. 16Czech Republic - Feb. 19Slovakia - Feb. 20

The Latvians will be lucky if they win a game in their challenging pool and opening against pre-tournament favorite Russia will likely do nothing to give them much confidence. The Czechs and Slovaks have plenty of NHL talent as well, so even after the Russians it will not get an easier for Latvia. Their goaltenders will have to hold them into games as they will likely be outshot heavily in the tournament.

NORWAY

The Norwegians come into the Olympics as a bottom seed. They have only two players who have played in the NHL and currently none do so. Their only chance to win will come against Switzerland, and even that is a long shot. The tournament does not start off well as they play the home team in Canada.

Six members of the Norwegian squad play in the Norwegian Hockey League, with the remainder scattered throughout Europe. Ole-Kristian Tollefsen plays in North America.

Roster:

Who you know:

Well, you may know Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and Patrick Thoresen, or you may not. Tollefsen currently plays for Grand Rapids of the AHL after he was traded from the Flyers to Detroit. Thoresen is in the KHL after two NHL seasons with Edmonton and Philadelphia.

Who you may not know:

Pal Grotnes: Has backstopped the Norwegian team the last four years, including making 50 saves in a 2-1 loss to Canada at the World Championships in 2008. He fell back slightly last season with a 2.95 GAA and a .906 save percentage in the Norwegian League.

Andre Lysenstoen: The huge (six foot, one inch, 247 pound) netminder plays for Heki in Finland. He started against Canada in the 2009 World Championships, but was pulled in a 5-1 loss after giving up four goals in 30 minutes.

Ruben Smith: Plays for Storhamar in the Norwegian League where he was the top netminder last season. He had a .922 save percentage and a 2.34 GAA in 2008/09. He could get the start against Canada on the 16th.

Alexander Bonsaken: The 23-year-old blueliner has only two assists this season for Modo of the Swedish Elite League. Do not look for a lot of scoring from the defensive defenseman.

Tommy Jakobsen: The 39-year-old is the only Norwegian who played the last time Norway qualified for the Olympics, when they got an automatic bid at Lillehammer in 1994. Jakobsen carried the flag for Norway at the opening ceremonies. Jakobsen returned to play in Norway this season after a decorated career in Germany and Austria. He will not get many points.

Juha Kaunismaki: Kaunismaki was born in Finland and has played in Norway since the 2003-04 season with Stavanger. The chippy defenseman has had 664 penalty minutes in the last five seasons in only 194 games. Not much of a scorer with only nine goals and 58 points.

Lars-Erik Lund: The 35-year-old defenseman has spent most of his career with Valrenga of the Norwegian League. His career almost ended when he was hit in the eye by a puck in 2008 but after ten hours of surgery, doctors managed to save it. The offensive rearguard has 12 goals and 30 points in 39 games this season.

Jonas Holos: The 23-year-old defenseman was a sixth round pick, 170th overall, by Colorado in the 2008 Entry Draft. He has played the last two seasons with Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League. He has 11 assists this season, after an eight goal, 16 point season in 2008-09.

Mats Trygg: Trygg is a veteran defenseman who as played his career in Sweden and Germany. The last five seasons have been spent in the German Elite League after six seasons with Garjestad of the Swedish Elite League. The 33-year-old has some offensive flair with seven goals and 15 points in 31 games this season.

Morten Ask: The 29-year-old forward came over to North America in the early 2000's where he played in the ECHL for a couple of years with Toledo and Las Vegas before returning to Europe. He has played in Finland and Sweden and currently plays in the German League for Nuremberg where he has 10 goals, 33 points and 119 penalty minutes in 42 games.

Anders Bastiansen: The 29-year-old forward has played the last five seasons in the Swedish Elite League. He has eight goals and 17 points this season with Farjestad.

Kristian Forsberg: Plays for Modo of the Swedish Elite League where he is not even the best Forsberg on the team as Peter is a future shoo in for the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 23-year-old has only two goals and three points in 48 games this season.

Mads Hansen: The 21-year-old has already played four seasons in the Swedish Elite League. Never drafted by the NHL, which seems to be consistent with most Norwegians on the Olympic team, he has four goals and 19 points this season after a 14 goal and 22 point season last year. He plays for Brynas.

Marius Holtet: The highest drafted Norwegian ever, 42nd overall in the 2002 Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars, Holtet played four seasons in the AHL, without ever getting a shot with the Stars, so he returned to Europe in the 2008-09 season and has played for Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League the last two seasons. He had 16 goals and 31 points for Iowa of the AHL in 2006-07, his best season ever.

Lars-Erik Spets: A member of the Norwegian national team for the last five years, Spets returned to play for Valrenga of the Norwegian League two seasons ago after three seasons in Sweden and Germany. The 24-year-old had 15 goals and 46 points in 38 games last season.

Mathis Olimb: Olimb spent one season in the OHL splitting time between London and Sarnia where he scored eight times and had 25 assists in 57 games before returning back to Europe. He had seven goals and 31 points with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League this season.

Martin Roymark: Roymark is playing this season for Forlunda in the Swedish Elite League after a career best 46 point effort last year with Sarpsborg of the Norwegian League. This season he has five goals and eight points. This is the third season with the national team for the 23-year-old.

Per-Age Skroder: Skroder could be the Norwegians top offensive player. He has scored 30 goals twice in his lengthy career in the Swedish Elite League, most recently last year when he also chipped in with 29 assists for a career high 59 points. The 31-year-old has spent 12 years in the top league in Sweden.

Tore Vikingstad: Vikingstad was taken in the sixth round by the St. Louis Blues in the 1999 Entry Draft but never played in North America. He started his career in Sweden and has played the last nine seasons in Germany, the last two in Hanover. The playmaker has 13 goals and 55 points this season.

Martin Ylven- Laumann: Ylven-Laumann just turned 21 in December. He is not a scoring forward and should be a bottom six forward for the Norwegians. He plays for Linkoping in the Swedish Elite League.

Mats Zuccarello-Aasen: The 22-year-old will be a top six forward for Norway. He currently plays for Modo of the Swedish Elite League and has 18 goals and 51 points in 48 games this season. He will line up with fellow Norwegian Per-Age Skroder on the top line.

Late Notes: Jonas Andersen will replace Morton Ask in the Norway lineup as Ask was injured in a pre-Olympic game against Belarus in Winnipeg. Andersen plays for Sparta Sarpsbourg.

Schedule:

Canada - Feb. 16United States - Feb. 18Switzerland - Feb. 20

The Norwegians are in tough this tournament as they play both North American teams before facing the Swiss. They have to beat the Swiss to have a shot at the quarter-finals, but we think that this is unlikely.

RUSSIA

Russia enters the Olympic tournament as a co-favorite alongside Canada. They finished a disappointing fourth in Torino in the 2006 games, but they are coming off two consecutive gold medals in the World Championships. They have 14 NHLers on the team and nine Kontinental Hockey League players.

Konstantin Korneyev: Korneyev was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens with the 275th pick in the 2002 entry draft, but never made it to North America. He is an offensive defenseman for CSKA Moscow in a notoriously defensive league.

Danis Zaripov: Zaripov actually played junior hockey for the Swift Current Broncos, but returned to Russia after failing to get drafted by an NHL team. He has played with Ak Bars Kazan since 2001. He has 16 goals and 42 points in 50 games this season.

Sergei Zinovyev: Zinovyev is among the KHL's leading scorers this season with 17 goals and 53 points in 47 games with Salavat Yulayev Ufa. He was drafted by the Bruins with the 73rd pick in 2000 and actually played 10 games with Boston in the 2003-04 season, but has otherwise played strictly in Russia.

Ilya Nikulin: Ilya Nikulin is one of the best Russian defenders and will impress many at the Olympics. He was drafted with the 31st pick in 2000, but never left Russia. He has six goals and 32 points in 47 games with Ak Bars Kazan.

Schedule:

Latvia - Feb. 16Slovakia - Feb. 18Czech Republic - Feb. 21

The Russians start off fairly easy with Latvia on Tuesday and then the games get progressively tougher with Slovakia and finally the Czech Republic. The Russians are the top rated team by the IIHL in the world at this time.

SLOVAKIA

Slovakia will enter the tournament with a mix of 13 NHL players, as well as 10 participants from other leagues, mostly the KHL. Although depth may be an issue Slovakia, the team certainly isn't without its star power, including the likes of Marian Gaborik and Marian Hossa.

Slovakia enjoyed a fifth place finish in 2006, their best showing ever in the Olympics. They aren't a favorite to win a medal in 2010, but they are certainly capable of competing against the powerhouses such as Finland, Sweden, and the United States and perhaps even Canada and Russia.

Rastislav Stana: Stana will serve as Slovakia's third-tier goaltender after Peter Budaj and Jaroslav Halak. He was originally selected in the seventh round of the 1998 entry draft by the Washington Capitals, but he is currently playing for Cherepovets Severstal of the KHL. He has a 2.63 GAA and .905 save percentage in 46 games this season.

Richard Lintner: Originally drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996, Lintner went onto score eight goals and 20 points in 112 NHL games with the Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. The 32-year-old blueliner hasn't played in the NHL since 2002-03 and is currently in his second season with the KHL's Minsk Dynamo. He has 11 points and 34 penalty minutes in 33 games this season.

Martin Strbak: The 35-year-old defenseman is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career with eight goals and 32 points in 51 games with Balashikha MVD HC of the KHL. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the ninth round of the 1993 entry draft, but he has only played in 49 games between the Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Martin Cibak: Cibak was selected in the ninth round of the 1998 entry draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He bounced around between the NHL and AHL between the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons, before playing in Europe in 2004-05. He returned to Tampa Bay in 2005-06 but he hasn't appeared in an NHL game since. He had five goals, 23 points, and 60 penalty minutes in 154 career games with the Lightning. He spent three seasons in the Swedish Elite League before he moved to Moscow Spartak of the KHL for the 2009-10 campaign. The 29-year-old center has 17 goals, 29 points, and 91 penalty minutes in 48 games with Moscow this season.

Schedule:

Czech Republic - Feb. 17Russia - Feb. 18Latvia - Feb. 20

No one ever said Slovakia was going to have it easy. They'll quickly find out what they're made of with back-to-back games against the rival Czech's and the powerhouse Russians. If they can manage to find a way to win one of their first two games, they're all but guaranteed passage in to the quarter-finals. They shouldn't have much trouble against Latvia on February 20th.

SWEDEN

The Swedes are the defending gold medal champions, but they enter the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver as slight underdogs behind Canada and Russia. That should suit them just fine as it should take a great deal of pressure off their shoulders.

The Swedish Olympic team will be represented by 19 NHL players and 13 returning players from their gold-medal performance in Torino.

They are expected to contend again for gold in 2010 with the likes of Canada and Russia.

Tomas Holmstrom will not play for Sweden after being named to the team in December due to injury. He will be replaced by fellow Detroit Red Wing Johan Franzen.

Swedish flag bearer Peter Forsberg will also represent his native country on their hockey roster, while blueliner Magnus Johansson, who currently plays for Linkoping HC in the Swedish Elite League, last appeared in the NHL in 2007-08 for the Panthers.

Who you may not know:

Mattias Weinhandl: His last appearance in the NHL was in 2006-07 with the Minnesota Wild. Weinhandl has collected 24 goals and 58 points in 53 games for Moscow Dynamo in the KHL this campaign. He will likely end up on Sweden's fourth line in a checking role.

Stefan Liv: The Swedish goalie was drafted back in 2000 by the Detroit Red Wings, but he has spent the vast majority of his career with HV71 Jonkoping in the Swedish Elite League. He is expected to serve as Lundqvist's backup, but he likely will not see much, if any, ice time.

Schedule

Germany - Feb. 17Belarus - Feb. 19Finland - Feb. 21

Sweden should be back in medal contention in 2010. They should have a relatively easy time with Germany and Belarus, while Finland will provide stiffer competition. The fact that they are slightly slipping under the radar this Olympics, despite being the defending gold medalists, could work in their favor as well. They are a team to watch out for.

SWITZERLAND

The Swiss pulled off their greatest upset in hockey at the 2006 Olympics as they shut out Canada 2-0 in a preliminary game with Martin Gerber stopping all 49 shots. The strength of the Swiss is their goaltending as Anaheim star Jonas Hiller will start and former NHL goaltenders Martin Gerber and Tobias Stephan will back him up.

Thomas Deruns: The 27-year-old is playing on Servette-Geneva with former NHLer Kris Beech. Deruns has 19 goals and 29 assists this season with a plus-18 rating and 42 penalty minutes in the Swiss A League.

Seandy Jeannin: The 33-year-old is in his second season with Fribourg-Gotteron after a lenthy career with Lugano of the Swiss League. He has nine goals and 25 points this season and will likely line up with teammate Julien Sprunger on the Olympic team.

Thibaut Monnet: Monnet is second in goal scoring for Zurich of the Swiss A League with 23. He also has 15 helpers. Monnet is likely to be a top-six forward with Switzerland at the Olympics.

Thierry Paterlini: Paterlini is the second oldest member of the Swiss squad at age 34, trailing only goaltender Martin Gerber. Paterlini is not much of a scorer. He had his best season last year, scoring 16 times.

Martin Pluss: Pluss is tied for the SC Bern scoring lead with 15 goals and 42 points this season. Pluss is a talented scorer and spent four seasons in the highly regarded Swedish Elite League before returning to his native Switzerland in 2008. He will be a top-six forward.

Kevin Romy: The 25-year-old Romy was drafted in the fourth round in 2003 by the Philadelphia Flyers, but never played for the organization. The bottom-six forward has six goals and 17 points this season for Lugano of the Swiss A League.

Ivo Ruthemann: Ruthmann is having the best season of his career with 24 goals and 42 points for SC Bern. The 33-year-old will likely play with teammate Martin Pluss, on one of the top two lines.

Raffaele Sannitz: 'Rafi' was a seventh round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 Entry Draft. He has played his entire career in Switzerland. He will likely line up with Kevin Romy on the third or fourth line. He has only four goals and 15 points in 30 games with season with Lugano.

Julien Sprunger: Sprunger has nine goals and 26 points for HC Fribourg-Gotteron, his hometown. The 24-year-old was drafted in the fourth round, 117th overall, by the Minnesota Wild in 2004. He knows where the net is as he has scored 27 and 25 goals in his last two seasons.

Roman Wick: Wick spent two years in Canada playing in the WHL, but returned home and has played for Kloten the last four seasons. The 24-year-old was drafted by Ottawa in the fifth round of the 2004 Entry Draft. He has 12 goals and 15 assists this season.

Goran Bezina: Bezina has actually played three games in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2004 season after spending three seasons in the AHL. The native of Split, Croatia, a region known more for NBA basketball players than hockey defensemen, went to Servette-Geneva at the outbreak of the NHL lockout and became a citizen of Switzerland, allowing him to play in the Olympics. He has seven goals and 26 points this season, with a plus-21 rating. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1999 Entry Draft.

Severin Blindenbacher: As with Bezina above, the Phoenix Coyotes also drafted Blindenbacher, but in the ninth round of the 2001 Entry Draft. He played nine seasons in Switzerland before moving to Sweden this season to play with Farjestad Karlstad of the SEL where he has eight goals and 19 points.

Rafael Diaz: Diaz is a 24-year-old defensive defenseman. He was never drafted by an NHL team. He currently plays for EV Zug in the Swiss A League.

Roman Josi: Josi is someone to watch in the Olympics if he is healthy. The second round selection, 38th overall, by the Nashville Predators in the 2008 Entry Draft, the 20-year-old Josi has nine goals and 20 points in only 24 games for SC Bern. He will be a mainstay on the power play alongside Mark Streit.

Mathias Seger: No relation as far as we know to Pete. Seger is having the best season of his career with seven goals and 49 points. The 32-year-old defenseman is also plus-16 and should be a veteran force for the Swiss in the Vancouver games.

Late Notes: Kevin Romy, Goran Bezina and Roman Josi will not play in the Olympics. They will be replaced by Romano Lemm, Philippe Furrer and Patrick von Gunten.

Romano Lemm: The 25-year-old winger has played most of his career with Kloten of the Swiss League, scoring 17 times in the 2006-07 season. He has played the past two seasons with Lugano.

Philippe Furrer: The 24-year-old defenseman was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round of the 2003 entry Draft. He never came over to North America. He had four goals and 16 points last season with Bern.

Patrick von Gunten: The 25-year-old blueliner has some scoring touch as he had 12 goals and 27 points for Kloten in the 2008-09 season. He's a little chippy as well with 90 penalty minutes last season in 46 games.

Schedule:

United States - Feb. 16Canada - Feb. 18Norway - Feb. 20

The big game for Switzerland will be the Norway game on the 20th. Win and they have a shot at being one of the two third place finishers to get into the quarter-finals. Lose, and they will be done. Canada will not overlook them this time.

UNITED STATES

The Americans picked up the Silver medal in 2002, but they dropped all the way to eighth place in 2006. With that embarrassing finish looming over him, Team USA GM Brian Burke completely revamped America's roster for 2010. Just three players originally selected had previous Olympic experience and 13 players were 25 or younger.

Like Team Canada, every player on the United States roster is currently playing at the NHL level. The United States enters the 2010 Olympics as an underdog to win a medal, but they should be considered the dark horse of the tournament.

There hopes could rest on Ryan Miller, who has been one of the league's best goaltenders this season, but he'll enter the Winter Games in the midst of a disappointing February.Roster:

Ryan Miller is projected to serve as the team's number one goaltender, but if he falters, Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas should fill the void. Jon Quick will round out America's goaltending trio.

Who you may not know:

Erik Johnson: The St. Louis Blues picked him first overall in the 2006 entry draft in the 2006 entry draft and he went onto have a fantastic rookie season with 33 points in 69 games in 2007-08. Unfortunately, a torn ACL forced him to miss all of last season, but he's come back in 2009-10 with five goals and 27 points in his first 58 games. His numbers might not be overwhelming yet, but he could develop into one of the league's best offensive defenseman.

Bobby Ryan: Although Ryan was selected immediately after Sidney Crosby in the 2005 entry draft; he's only now starting to make his mark. Power forwards like Ryan often take a while to develop, but he proved worth the wait when he finally broke out in 2008-09 with 31 goals and 57 points in 64 games. Although Ryan has taken a small step back in his sophomore season, he still has 27 goals and 20 assists in 60 games.

Schedule:

Switzerland - Feb. 16Norway - Feb. 18Canada - Feb. 21

The United States will enter their games against Switzerland and Norway as the heavy favorites, but they will face their first major challenge on February 21st against Canada. Eight of the 12 preliminary round teams will make it to the Quarter-Finals, meaning that only a collapse of epic proportions will prevent Team USA from going at least that far.